Moving in Winter: What You Need to Know
Cold weather, ice, and short daylight hours add real complexity to a winter move. Here's how to prepare and what to ask your mover.
Winter moves come with real advantages — lower demand means better availability and often lower prices from moving companies. But cold weather, ice, and short daylight hours add complexity that summer movers never deal with. Here's how to approach it.
Check the weather a week out and again 48 hours before. You can't control the weather, but you can plan around it. If a major storm is possible on move day, talk to your moving company about contingency options. Good movers have protocols for weather delays.
Protect your floors. Snow, salt, and mud will be tracked in on every trip. Lay down plastic runners or old cardboard on all high-traffic pathways before the crew arrives. This matters at both the origin and destination.
Keep pathways clear. Salt and sand the driveway, walkway, and any exterior stairs before the crew arrives. If it snows overnight, clear it in the morning. Slipping while carrying a couch is how people get hurt.
Give electronics time to adjust. Cold electronics shouldn't be powered on immediately after being in a freezing truck. Give TVs, computers, and other sensitive equipment at least two hours at room temperature before turning them on. Condensation inside the chassis can damage components.
Pack a winter day-of kit. Extra gloves, hand warmers, a thermos of hot coffee or tea, and a change of socks. Moving in winter is physical work in brutal conditions. Take care of yourself and your crew.
Build extra time into your schedule. Shorter days, icy roads, and the extra gear required to work in the cold all slow things down. Don't schedule a moving day dinner for 6pm in January.
Armstrong moves year-round across all climates. Our crews are equipped and trained for cold-weather moves — if you have questions about winter moving in your specific area, call us.